Atkins, Chet

From New World Encyclopedia
m
 
(34 intermediate revisions by 11 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
{{Started}}{{claimed}}
+
{{Ebapproved}}{{Images OK}}{{submitted}}{{approved}}{{Paid}}{{Copyedited}}
 +
{{epname|Atkins, Chet}}
 +
[[category:Image wanted]]
  
−
{{otheruses4|the musician|the former US Congressman|Chester G. Atkins}}
 
−
[[Image:Chet atkins.jpg|right|thumb||Chet Atkins]]
 
−
'''Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins''' ([[June 20]], [[1924]] – [[June 30]], [[2001]]) was an influential [[guitarist]] and [[record producer]]. His virtuoso picking style - inspired by [[Merle Travis]], [[Django Reinhardt]], [[George Barnes]] and [[Les Paul]] - brought him admirers both within and outside the country scene. Atkins produced records for [[Eddy Arnold]], [[Don Gibson]], [[Jim Reeves]], [[Jerry Reed]], [[Connie Smith]], and [[Waylon Jennings]]. He created, along with [[Owen Bradley]], the smoother country music style known as the [[Nashville sound]], which expanded country music's appeal to include adult pop music fans as well.
 
  
−
==Biography==
+
[[Image:Gretsch G6122-1958.jpg|thumb|125px|The Gretsch Chet Atkins "Country Gentleman" model guitar]]'''Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins''' (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001) was an influential [[guitarist]] and [[Nashville]] [[record producer]]. His picking style, inspired by [[Merle Travis]], [[Django Reinhardt]], and [[Les Paul]], brought him admirers both within and outside the country scene, both in the U.S.A. and internationally.
−
Chet was born on [[June 20]], [[1924]], in [[Luttrell, Tennessee]], near the Clinch Mountains, and grew up with his mother and two brothers and a sister, he being the youngest. His parents divorced when he was six. He started out on the ukelele, later moving on to the fiddle, but traded his brother Lowell an old pistol and some chores for a guitar when he was nine. Forced to relocate to [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] to live with his father due to a near-fatal [[asthma]] condition, Chet was a sensitive youth who made music his obsession.
 
  
−
The stories have been told about the very young Chet who, when a relative would come to visit, and if that relative played a guitar, would crowd in and put his ear so very close to the instrument that it became difficult for that person to play. This was an early demonstration of his affinity for the instrument that would later become his life, and that he would take around the world, stunning packed concert halls from Nashville to the Boston Pops. Thus he became an accomplished guitarist while he was in high school.
+
As [[RCA]]'s top Nashville executive, Atkins produced records for [[Eddy Arnold]], [[Don Gibson]], [[Jim Reeves]], [[Skeeter Davis]], [[Connie Smith]], and [[Waylon Jennings]]. He created, along with [[Owen Bradley]], the smoother country music style known as the [[Nashville Sound]], which expanded country music's appeal to include adult pop music fans as well. This slick brand of country music in turn stimulated a reaction among purists, resulting the [[Outlaw country]] movement centered in [[Austin]], [[Texas]].
 +
{{toc}}
 +
Atkins' style of finger-picking opened new creative possibilities and remains highly influential among guitarists today. His willingness to branch into jazz, classical guitar, and flamenco created an inter-cultural bridge that brought his music to a wide audience and increased his influence. Atkins recorded more than 100 albums and was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Grammy [[Lifetime Achievement Award]].
  
−
The stories are told of how Chet would use the restroom in the school to practice, because it gave better acoustics. While the other boys in school shot craps, Chet would busy himself practicing, absorbed in the world of his guitar. Chet was self-taught, and later in life gave himself (along with [[Tommy Emmanuel]], [[Jerry Reed]] and John Knowles) the honorary degree "CGP", standing for "Certified Guitar Player". His half-brother Jim was a successful guitarist who worked with the Les Paul Trio in New York.
+
==Biography==
 +
Chet Atkins was born on June 20, 1924, in [[Luttrell, Tennessee]], near the Clinch Mountains, youngest of three boys and a girl. His parents divorced when he was six and he was raised by his mother. His first instrument was a [[ukulele]] and then a fiddle, and then when he was nine he acquired a guitar from his brother Lowell in exchange for an old pistol and some of his brother's chores. Due to a near-fatal [[asthma]] condition, Atkins was a sensitive youth who made music his main focus. A self-taught musician, he became an accomplished guitarist while he was in high school.
  
−
Atkins did not have a strong style of his own until 1939 when (while still living in Georgia) he heard Merle Travis picking over [[WLW]] radio. This early influence dramatically shaped his unique playing style. Whereas Travis's right hand utilized his index finger for the melody and thumb for bass notes, Atkins expanded his right hand style to include picking with his first three fingers, with the thumb on bass. The result was a clarity and complexity that became his unmistakable sound.
+
While living with his father in Georgia, Atkins heard Merle Travis playing over [[WLW]] radio. This early influence dramatically shaped Atkins' [[finger-picking]] style. Both used the right thumb to play the bass notes and the index finger to play melodies. However, Atkins used two other fingers of the right hand as well, resulting in a greater degree of complexity and flexibility of style.
  
 
==Career==
 
==Career==
−
 
 
===Early career===
 
===Early career===
 +
After dropping out of high school in 1942, Atkins landed a job at [[WNOX]] radio in [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]]. There he played fiddle and guitar with singer [[Bill Carlisle]] and comic [[Archie Campbell]] as well as becoming a member of the station's "Dixieland Swingsters," a swing instrumental combo.
 +
 +
After three years, he moved to [[WLW]] in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]], where [[Merle Travis]] had formerly worked. Six months later, he moved to [[Raleigh]], [[North Carolina]] and worked with singing duo [[Johnnie and Jack]] before heading for [[Richmond, Virginia]], where he performed with Sunshine Sue Workman. Atkins' shy personality worked against him, as did the fact that his sophisticated style led many to doubt he was truly "country." He was fired several times, but with his unique playing ability soon found other work.
  
−
After dropping out of high school in 1942, he landed a job at [[WNOX]] radio in [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]]. There he played fiddle and guitar with singer Bill Carlisle and comic [[Archie Campbell]] as well as becoming a member of the station's "Dixieland Swingsters," a small swing instrumental combo.
+
Traveling to Chicago, Atkins auditioned and joined the band of [[Red Foley]], who was leaving his star position at the [[WLS National Barn Dance]] to join the [[Grand Ole Opry]]. Atkins made his first appearance at the Opry in 1946 as a member of Foley's band. He also recorded an instrumental single for Nashville-based Bullet Records that year. That single, "Guitar Blues," was progressive by country standards, including a clarinet solo by Nashville dance band musician Dutch McMillan. Atkins landed a solo spot on the Opry for a while, but when that was cut he moved on to [[KWTO]] in [[Springfield, Missouri]], where once again he was fired for not sounding country enough.
−
 
−
After three years, he moved to [[WLW]] in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]], where Merle Travis had formerly worked. After six months he moved to Raleigh and worked with Johnnie and Jack before heading for [[Richmond, Virginia]], where he performed with Sunshine Sue Workman. Atkins's shy personality worked against him, as did the fact that his sophisticated style led many to doubt he was truly "country." He was fired often but was soon able to land another job at another radio station due to his unique playing ability.
 
  
−
Travelling to Chicago, he auditioned for [[Red Foley]], who was leaving his star position at the [[WLS National Barn Dance]] to join the [[Grand Ole Opry]]. Atkins made his first appearance at the [[Grand Ole Opry]] in [[1946]] as a member of Foley's band. He also recorded a single for Nashville-based Bullet Records that year. That single, "Guitar Blues," was fairly progressive, including as it did, a clarinet solo by Nashville dance band musician Dutch McMillan with [[Owen Bradley]] on piano. He had a solo spot on the Opry for a while but when that was cut Atkins moved on to [[KWTO]] in [[Springfield, Missouri]], and despite the support of executive Si Siman, soon was fired for not sounding country enough.  
+
===RCA Victor===
 +
While working with a Western band in [[Denver, Colorado]], Atkins came to the attention of [[RCA Victor Records|RCA Victor]]. He made his first RCA solo recordings in Chicago in 1947, but they did not sell well. He also did some studio work for RCA and relocated to [[Knoxville]] again, where he worked with [[Homer and Jethro]] on WNOX's new Saturday night radio show the Tennessee Barn Dance. In 1949, he joined [[Carter Family|Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters]] back at KWTO. The group soon moved to [[Nashville]] in mid-1950, where Atkins began working on recording sessions and performed again on [[WSM]] and the Grand Ole Opry.
  
−
===RCA Victor signs Atkins===
+
While he had not yet had a hit record, Atkins' stature was growing, and he began organizing RCA Nashville sessions. Atkins' first hit single was an instrumental version of "[[Mr. Sandman]]," followed by the Christmas song "Silver Bell"(s) which he did as a duet with [[Hank Snow]]. His albums also became more popular. In addition to recording, Atkins became a design consultant for [[Gretsch]], who manufactured a popular Chet Atkins line of electric guitars from 1955-1980. Atkins also became manager of RCA's Nashville studio, eventually inspiring the creation of the legendary Studio B. This was the first studio built specifically for the purpose of recording on the now famous [[Music Row]].
  
−
While working with a Western Band in [[Denver, Colorado]], Atkins came to the attention of [[RCA Victor Records|RCA Victor]]. Si Siman had been encouraging [[Stephen H. Sholes|Steve Sholes]] to sign Atkins, as his style (with the success of [[Merle Travis]] as a hit recording artist) was suddenly in vogue. Sholes, A&R director of country music at RCA, tracked Atkins down to Denver. He made his first RCA recordings in Chicago in 1947. They did not sell. He did some studio work for RCA that year but had relocated to Knoxville again where he worked with [[Homer and Jethro]] on WNOX's new Saturday night radio show the Tennessee Barn Dance and the popular Midday Merry Go Round. Still, it was a hard way to make a living for a family man for by then he had a wife and daughter. He even contemplated tuning pianos as a sideline.  In 1949 he left WNOX to join [[June Carter#With Mother Maybelle & the Carter Sisters|Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters]] back at KWTO. This incarnation of the old [[Carter Family]] featured Maybelle Carter and daughters June, Helen and Anita. Their work soon attracted attention from the Opry. The group relocated to [[Nashville]] in mid-1950. Atkins began working on recording sessions, performing on [[WSM]] and the Opry.
+
===The Nashville Sound===
 +
Atkins took charge of RCA's Nashville division in 1957. With country music record sales suffering as a result of the success of [[rock and roll]], Atkins and [[Bob Ferguson (music)|Bob Ferguson]] took their cue from [[Patsy Cline]]'s producer, [[Owen Bradley]], and eliminated [[fiddle]]s and [[steel guitar]] as a way of making country singers appeal to pop fans. This became known as the [[Nashville Sound]]. Atkins used [[Elvis Presley]]'s vocal backing group, the [[Jordanaires]], and a pop-oriented rhythm section on hits like [[Jim Reeves]]' "Four Walls" and "He'll Have to Go;" and [[Don Gibson]]'s "Oh Lonesome Me" and "Blue Blue Day." As a result, the once rare phenomenon of having a country hit "cross over" to the pop charts became more common.
  
−
While he hadn't yet had a hit record on RCA his stature was growing. He began assisting Sholes as a Session Leader when the New York-based producer needed help organizing Nashville sessions for RCA artists. Atkins's first hit single was "[[Mr. Sandman]]," followed by "Silver Bell," which he did as a duet with [[Hank Snow]]. His albums also became more popular. In addition to recording, Atkins became a design consultant for [[Gretsch]], who manufactured a popular Chet Atkins line of electric guitars from 1955-1980. Atkins also became manager of RCA's Nashville studio eventually inspiring and seeing the completion of the legendary Studio 'B'. This studio was the first studio built specifically for the purpose of recording on the now famous 'Music Row'.
+
Atkins also made his own records, which usually visited pop standards and jazz, in a sophisticated home studio, often recording the rhythm tracks at RCA but adding his solo parts at home. Guitarists of all styles came to admire various Atkins albums for their unique musical ideas and in some cases experimental electronic ideas. In this period he became known internationally as "Mister Guitar," also the name of one of Atkins's albums. Atkins performed by invitation at the [[White House]] for presidents [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] through [[George H. W. Bush]].  
  
−
===Performer and manager===
+
Atkins's own biggest hit single came in 1965, with "Yakety Axe," an adaptation of his friend saxophonist [[Boots Randolph]]'s "Yakety Sax."
  
−
When Sholes took over pop production in [[1957]] - a result of his success with [[Elvis Presley]] - he put Atkins in charge of RCA's Nashville division. It was then that Atkins, [[Owen Bradley]], and [[Bob Ferguson (music)|Bob Ferguson]] seeing country music record sales in tatters as rock and roll took over, came up with the idea of eliminating fiddles and steel guitar as a means of making country singers appeal to pop fans. This became known as 'The [[Nashville Sound]]' which Chet said was a label created by the media attached to a style of recording done during that period in an effort to keep country (and their jobs) viable. Atkins used the [[Jordanaires]] and a rhythm section on hits like [[Jim Reeves]]'s "Four Walls" and "He'll Have to Go" and [[Don Gibson]]'s "Oh Lonesome Me" and "Blue Blue Day."  The once rare phenomenon of having a country hit "cross over" to pop success became more common. He and Bradley had essentially put the producer in the driver's seat, guiding an artist's choice of material and the musical background.
+
[[Image:WillieNelson.jpg|thumb|150px|Willie Nelson rebelled against the Nashville Sound and helped create the Outlaw country movement in Austin, Texas.]]
  
−
Atkins made his own records, which usually visited pop standards and jazz, in a sophisticated home studio, often recording the rhythm tracks at RCA but adding his solo parts at home, refining it all until the result satisfied him. Guitarists of all styles came to admire various Atkins albums for their unique musical ideas and in some cases experimental electronic ideas. In this period he became known internationally as "Mister Guitar", also the name of one of Atkins's albums. His trademark "Atkins Style" of playing, which was and is very difficult for a guitarist to master, uses the thumb and first two - sometimes three -  fingers of the right hand. He developed this style from listening to Merle Travis occasionally on a primitive radio. He was sure no one could play that articulately with just the thumb and index finger (which actually was exactly how Travis played) and he assumed it required the thumb and two fingers - and that was the style he pioneered and mastered. He enjoyed jamming with fellow studio musicians which led to them being asked to perform at the [[Newport Jazz Festival]] in [[1960]]. That performance was canceled, however, due to rioting. Atkins performed by invitation at the [[White House]] for presidents Kennedy through George H. W. Bush.  
+
Now vice president of RCA's country division, Atkins brought [[Waylon Jennings]], [[Willie Nelson]], [[Connie Smith]], [[Bobby Bare]], [[Dolly Parton]], [[Jerry Reed]], and [[John Hartford]] to the label in the 1960s. He took a considerable risk during the mid-1960s by signing country music's first African-American singer [[Charley Pride]]. Ironically, some of Pride's biggest fans were among the most conservative country fans, many of whom did not care for the pop stylings Atkins had added.
  
−
Before his mentor, Sholes, died in [[1968]], Atkins had become vice president of RCA's country division. He had brought [[Waylon Jennings]], [[Willie Nelson]], [[Connie Smith]], [[Bobby Bare]], [[Dolly Parton]], [[Jerry Reed]] and [[John Hartford]] to the label in the 1960s and inspired and helped countless others. He took a considerable risk during the mid-1960s, when the [[Civil Rights Movement]] sparked violence throughout the South by signing country music's first African-American singer [[Charley Pride]], who sang rawer country than the smoother music Atkins had pioneered. But Atkins's hunch paid off. Ironically, some of Pride's biggest fans were from the most conservative country fans, many of whom didn't care for the pop stylings Atkins had added.
+
Meanwhile, Atkins' slick [[Nashville Sound]] and his corporate management style—insisting that performers adhere to his vision of what would work commercially whether they liked it or not—did not sit well with talents like Nelson and Jennings. In the late 1960s, they would relocate to [[Austin, Texas]] and form their brand of "[[Outlaw country]]," proving that there was still a major market for "authentic" country music devoid of compromise with the pop market.
  
−
Atkins's own biggest hit single came in [[1965]], with "Yakety Axe," an adaptation of his friend saxophonist [[Boots Randolph]]'s "Yakety Sax." He rarely performed in those days, and eventually had to hire other RCA producers like [[Bob Ferguson]] and [[Felton Jarvis]] to alleviate his workload. 
+
In 1969, Atkins had his last major hit single, "Country Gentleman."
  
−
===Atkins retires from management===
+
===Later career===
 +
In the 1970s, Atkins became increasingly stressed by his executive duties. He produced fewer records but could still turn out hits such as [[Perry Como]]'s pop hit "And I Love You So." He recorded extensively with close friend and fellow picker [[Jerry Reed]]. A 1973 bout of [[colorectal cancer|colon cancer]], however, led Atkins to redefine his role at [[RCA]], to allow others to handle administration while he went back to his first love, the guitar, often recording with Reed or even [[Homer & Jethro]]'s Jethro Burns (Atkins's brother-in-law) after Homer died in 1971. However, he continued to want to express himself outside of the country genre. In 1972, he recorded an album with the Boston Pops orchestra and continued to experiment with other forms of guitar music.
  
−
In the [[1970s]], Atkins became increasingly stressed by his executive duties. He produced fewer records but could still turn out hits such as [[Perry Como]]'s pop hit "And I Love You So." He recorded extensively with close friend and fellow picker [[Jerry Reed]], who'd become a hit artist in his own right. A 1973 bout of [[colorectal cancer|colon cancer]], however, led Atkins to redefine his role at RCA, to allow others to handle administration while he went back to his first love, the guitar, often recording with [[Jerry Reed|Reed]] or even [[Homer & Jethro]]'s Jethro Burns (Atkins's brother-in-law) after Homer died in 1971.
+
By the end of the 1970s, Atkins's time had passed as a producer, and RCA sensed that its country division needed to move closer to its country roots. He first retired from his position as an RCA executive, and then began to feel stifled as an artist because RCA objected to his branching out into [[jazz]]. At the same time he grew dissatisfied and began designing guitars with [[Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson]]. He left RCA in 1982 and signed with [[Columbia Records]], for whom he produced a debut album in 1983.
  
−
By the end of the '70s, Atkins's time had passed as a producer. New executives at RCA had different ideas. He first retired from his position in the company, and then began to feel  stifled as an artist because RCA would not let him branch out into [[jazz]]. At the same time he grew dissatisfied with the direction Gretsch (no longer family-owned) was going and withdrew his authorization for them to use his name and began designing guitars with [[Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson]]. He left RCA in [[1982]] and signed with [[Columbia Records]], for whom he produced a debut album in [[1983]]. While he was with Columbia, he showed his creativity and taste in jazz guitar, and in various other contexts. Jazz had always been a strong love of his, and often in his career he was criticized by "pure" country musicians for his jazz influences. He also said on many occasions that he did not like being called a "country guitarist", insisting that he was a guitarist, period. Although he played 'by ear' and was a masterful improviser he was able to read music and even performed some classical guitar pieces with taste and distinction. He did return to his country roots for albums he recorded with [[Mark Knopfler]] and [[Jerry Reed]]. On being asked to name the ten most influential guitarists of the 20th century, he named Django Reinhardt to the first position on the list, and placed himself at fifth position.
+
While he was with Columbia, he showed his creativity and taste in jazz guitar, and in various other contexts. He was a masterful improviser but could also read music well, and even performed some classical guitar pieces with taste and distinction. Asked to name the ten most influential guitarists of the twentieth century, he named [[Django Reinhardt]] to the first position on the list, and placed himself at fifth position.
  
−
In later years he even went back to radio, appearing on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion, and even picking up a fiddle from time to time.
+
In later years, he sometimes went back to performing on radio, appearing on [[Garrison Keillor]]'s [[Prairie Home Companion]], and even picking up a fiddle from time to time. While he did more performing in the 1990s, his health grew frail from worsening colon cancer. He died on June 30, 2001 at his home in [[Nashville]].
  
 
==Legacy==
 
==Legacy==
 +
Atkins received numerous awards, including eleven [[Grammy Award]]s (including a [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award|Lifetime Achievement Award]] in 1993), and nine [[Country Music Association]] Instrumentalist of the Year awards. ''[[Billboard Magazine]]'' awarded him their Century Award, their "highest honor for distinguished creative achievement," in December 1997.
 +
 +
A virtuoso instrumentalist, Atkins expanded the universe for guitarists—and lovers of guitar music—in a way no one did before. For better or worse, he was the driving force behind the creation of the [[Nashville Sound]], which helped revive the fortunes of [[country music]] even as it removed some of the authentic southern folk qualities which many fans and artists craved.
 +
 +
Of his own legacy he once said, "Years from now, after I'm gone, someone will listen to what I've done and know I was here. They may not know or care who I was, but they'll hear my guitars speaking for me."
 +
 +
  
−
Atkins received numerous awards, including eleven [[Grammy Award]]s and nine [[Country Music Association]] Instrumentalist of the Year awards. While he did more performing in the 1990s his health grew frail as the cancer returned and worsened. He died on June 30, 2001 at his home in Nashville.
+
In 2002, Atkins was posthumously inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall Fame]]. The following year, Atkins ranked #28 in ''[[CMT]]'s 40 Greatest Men of Country Music.'' A stretch of [[Interstate 185]] in southwest [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] (between [[LaGrange]] and [[Columbus]]) is named "Chet Atkins Parkway."
  
−
Atkins was quoted many times throughout his career, and of his own legacy he once said:  
+
==Discography==
 +
{|
 +
*1952 - Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar
 +
*1953 - Stringin' Along
 +
*1953 - String Dustin'*1954 - A Session with Chet Atkins
 +
*1955 - Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins
 +
*1955 - Chet Atkins in Three Dimensions
 +
*1955 - The Amazing Chet Atkins
 +
*1956 - Finger Style Guitar
 +
*1957 - Hi Fi in Focus
 +
*1958 - Chet Atkins at Home
 +
*1959 - Mister Guitar
 +
*1959 - Hum & Strum Along with Chet Atkins
 +
*1959 - Chet Atkins in Hollywood
 +
*1960 - The Other Chet Atkins
 +
*1960 - After the Riot at Newport
 +
*1961 - Teensville
 +
*1961 - Chet Atkins' Workshop
 +
*1961 - The Most Popular Guitar
 +
*1961 - Chet Atkins Plays Great Movie Themes
 +
*1961 - Christmas with Chet Atkins
 +
*1962 - Down Home
 +
*1962 - Plays Back Home Hymns
 +
*1962 - Caribbean Guitar
 +
*1963 - Our Man in Nashville
 +
*1963 - Teen Scene
 +
*1963 - Travelin'
 +
*1963 - The Guitar Genius
 +
*1964 - Guitar Country
 +
*1964 - Progressive Pickin'
 +
*1964 - Reminiscing
 +
*1964 - The Best of Chet Atkins
 +
*1964 - The Early Years of Chet Atkins & His Guitar
 +
*1965 - My Favorite Guitars
 +
*1965 - More of That Guitar Country
 +
*1966 - Chet Atkins Picks on the Beatles
 +
*1966 - From Nashville with Love
 +
*1966 - The Pops Goes Country
 +
*1966 - The Best of Chet Atkins Vol. 2
 +
*1966 - Music from Nashville, My Hometown
 +
*1967 - It's A Guitar World
 +
*1967 - Chet Atkins Picks the Best
 +
*1967 - Class Guitar
 +
*1967 - Chet
 +
*1968 - Solo Flights
 +
*1968 - Solid Gold 68
 +
*1968 - Play Guitar with Chet Atkins
 +
*1968 - Chet All The Way
 +
*1968 - Hometown Guitar
 +
*1969 - Relaxin' with Chet
 +
*1969 - Lovers Guitar
 +
*1969 - Solid Gold 69
 +
*1969 - The Nashville String Band
 +
*1969 - Chet Atkins Picks on the Pops
 +
*1970 - C.B. Atkins & C.E. Snow by Special Request
 +
*1970 - Yestergroovin'
 +
*1970 - Solid Gold 70
 +
*1970 - Me & Jerry (w/Jerry Reed)
 +
*1970 - Down Home (with the Nashville String Band)
 +
*1970 - Pickin' My Way
 +
*1970 - This Is Chet Atkins
 +
*1971 - Mr. Atkins, Guitar Picker
 +
*1971 - Chet Atkins Guitar Method Volume 1 & 2
 +
*1971 - For the Good Times
 +
*1971 - Strung Up (with the Nashville String Band)
 +
*1971 - Country Pickin'
 +
*1971 - Identified! (Nashville String Band)
 +
*1971 - Chet Floyd & Boots
 +
*1972 - Me & Chet
 +
*1972 - World's Greatest Melodies
 +
*1972 - Now & Then
 +
*1972 - American Salute (Boston Pops w/Chet Atkins)
 +
*1972 - The Bandit
 +
*1972 - Nashville Gold
 +
*1972 - Picks on the Hits
 +
*1972 - Finger Pickin' Good
 +
*1973 - Greatest Hits of the 50's w/Arthur Fiedler
 +
*1973 - Discover Japan
 +
*1973 - Superpickers
 +
*1973 - Alone
 +
*1974 - Chet Atkins Picks on Jerry Reed
 +
*1974 - The Atkins - Travis Traveling Show
 +
*1975 - The Night Atlanta Burned
 +
*1975 - Famous Country Music Makers
 +
*1975 - In Concert
 +
*1975 - The Golden Guitar of Chet Atkins
 +
*1975 - Chet Atkins Goes to the Movies
 +
*1975 - Teen Scene (reissue)
 +
*1976 - Chester & Lester
 +
*1976 - The Best of Chet Atkins and Friends
 +
*1977 - Love Letters
 +
*1977 - Me and My Guitar
 +
*1977 - Chet Floyd & Danny
 +
*1977 - A Legendary Performer
 +
*1978 - Guitar Monsters
 +
*1979 - And Then Came Chet
 +
*1979 - First Nashville Guitar Quartet
 +
*1980 - The Best of Chet on the Road - Live
 +
*1980 - Reflections
 +
*1981 - Country After All These Years
 +
*1981 - Standard Brands
 +
*1981 - Country Music
 +
*1982 - Solid Gold Guitar
 +
*1983 - Guitar Pickin' Man
 +
*1983 - Great Hits of the Past
 +
*1983 - Work It out with Chet Atkins C.G.P.
 +
*1983 - East Tennessee Christmas
 +
*1984 - Tennessee Guitar Man
 +
*1984 - A Man & His Guitar
 +
*1985 - Collectors Series
 +
*1985 - Guitar for all Seasons
 +
*1985 - Stay Tuned
 +
*1986 - 20 of the Best
 +
*1986 - Street Dreams
 +
*1987 - Sails
 +
*1988 - Chet Atkins, C.G.P.
 +
*1988 - Pickin' on Country
 +
*1989 - Masters of the Guitar: Together
 +
*1989 - Pickin' the Hits
 +
*1990 - [[Neck & Neck]] (with [[Mark Knopfler]])
 +
*1990 - The Magic of Chet Atkins
 +
*1990 - Country Gems
 +
*1991 - The Romantic Guitar
 +
*1992 - Sneakin' Around
 +
*1992 - The RCA Years
 +
*1993 - The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat
 +
*1993 - Gallopin' Guitar
 +
*1993 - Jazz From The Hills
 +
*1994 - [[Simpatico (Atkins/Bogguss)|Simpatico]] (with [[Suzy Bogguss]])
 +
*1994 - Read My Licks
 +
*1996 - The Essential Chet Atkins
 +
*1996 - Almost Alone
 +
*1997 - The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World
 +
*1998 - Super Hits
 +
*1998 - Masters
 +
*2000 - Guitar Legend: The RCA Years
 +
*2000 - Guitar Man
 +
*2001 - RCA Country Legends
 +
*2001 - The Master and His Music
 +
*2002 - Chet Atkins Picks on the Grammys
 +
*2002 - Tribute to Bluegrass
 +
*2003 - The Best of Chet Atkins
 +
*2003 - Solo Sessions
 +
|}
  
−
{{cquote|Years from now, after I'm gone, someone will listen to what I've done and know I was here. They may not know or care who I was, but they'll hear my guitars speaking for me."}}
+
==References==
 +
* Cochran, Russ. ''Chet Atkins: Me and My Guitars''. Hal Leonard; 1st edition, 2003. ISBN 9780634055652
 +
* Jensen, Joli. ''The Nashville Sound: Authenticity, Commercialization, and Country Music''. Vanderbilt University Press, 1998. ISBN 9780826513144
 +
* Russell, Rusty. ''Chet Atkins''. Backbeat, 2002. ISBN 9780879307196
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
* [http://www.misterguitar.com Chet Atkins Official Website]
+
All links retrieved December 8, 2023.
−
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:liaxlf3e5cqq AMG Entry for Chet Atkins]
+
* [http://www.misterguitar.com Chet Atkins Official Website]. – ''www.misterguitar.com''.
−
* [http://www.jazzkeyboard.com Chet Atkins band sideman]
+
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:liaxlf3e5cqq AMG Entry for Chet Atkins]. – ''www.allmusic.com''.
−
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=23366 Chet Atkins' Gravesite]
+
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=23366 Chet Atkins' Gravesite]. – ''www.findagrave.com''.
  
−
[[Category:Music]]
+
[[Category:Musicians]]
−
[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
+
{{Credit|158929314}}

Latest revision as of 18:32, 8 December 2023


The Gretsch Chet Atkins "Country Gentleman" model guitar

Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001) was an influential guitarist and Nashville record producer. His picking style, inspired by Merle Travis, Django Reinhardt, and Les Paul, brought him admirers both within and outside the country scene, both in the U.S.A. and internationally.

As RCA's top Nashville executive, Atkins produced records for Eddy Arnold, Don Gibson, Jim Reeves, Skeeter Davis, Connie Smith, and Waylon Jennings. He created, along with Owen Bradley, the smoother country music style known as the Nashville Sound, which expanded country music's appeal to include adult pop music fans as well. This slick brand of country music in turn stimulated a reaction among purists, resulting the Outlaw country movement centered in Austin, Texas.

Atkins' style of finger-picking opened new creative possibilities and remains highly influential among guitarists today. His willingness to branch into jazz, classical guitar, and flamenco created an inter-cultural bridge that brought his music to a wide audience and increased his influence. Atkins recorded more than 100 albums and was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Biography

Chet Atkins was born on June 20, 1924, in Luttrell, Tennessee, near the Clinch Mountains, youngest of three boys and a girl. His parents divorced when he was six and he was raised by his mother. His first instrument was a ukulele and then a fiddle, and then when he was nine he acquired a guitar from his brother Lowell in exchange for an old pistol and some of his brother's chores. Due to a near-fatal asthma condition, Atkins was a sensitive youth who made music his main focus. A self-taught musician, he became an accomplished guitarist while he was in high school.

While living with his father in Georgia, Atkins heard Merle Travis playing over WLW radio. This early influence dramatically shaped Atkins' finger-picking style. Both used the right thumb to play the bass notes and the index finger to play melodies. However, Atkins used two other fingers of the right hand as well, resulting in a greater degree of complexity and flexibility of style.

Career

Early career

After dropping out of high school in 1942, Atkins landed a job at WNOX radio in Knoxville. There he played fiddle and guitar with singer Bill Carlisle and comic Archie Campbell as well as becoming a member of the station's "Dixieland Swingsters," a swing instrumental combo.

After three years, he moved to WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Merle Travis had formerly worked. Six months later, he moved to Raleigh, North Carolina and worked with singing duo Johnnie and Jack before heading for Richmond, Virginia, where he performed with Sunshine Sue Workman. Atkins' shy personality worked against him, as did the fact that his sophisticated style led many to doubt he was truly "country." He was fired several times, but with his unique playing ability soon found other work.

Traveling to Chicago, Atkins auditioned and joined the band of Red Foley, who was leaving his star position at the WLS National Barn Dance to join the Grand Ole Opry. Atkins made his first appearance at the Opry in 1946 as a member of Foley's band. He also recorded an instrumental single for Nashville-based Bullet Records that year. That single, "Guitar Blues," was progressive by country standards, including a clarinet solo by Nashville dance band musician Dutch McMillan. Atkins landed a solo spot on the Opry for a while, but when that was cut he moved on to KWTO in Springfield, Missouri, where once again he was fired for not sounding country enough.

RCA Victor

While working with a Western band in Denver, Colorado, Atkins came to the attention of RCA Victor. He made his first RCA solo recordings in Chicago in 1947, but they did not sell well. He also did some studio work for RCA and relocated to Knoxville again, where he worked with Homer and Jethro on WNOX's new Saturday night radio show the Tennessee Barn Dance. In 1949, he joined Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters back at KWTO. The group soon moved to Nashville in mid-1950, where Atkins began working on recording sessions and performed again on WSM and the Grand Ole Opry.

While he had not yet had a hit record, Atkins' stature was growing, and he began organizing RCA Nashville sessions. Atkins' first hit single was an instrumental version of "Mr. Sandman," followed by the Christmas song "Silver Bell"(s) which he did as a duet with Hank Snow. His albums also became more popular. In addition to recording, Atkins became a design consultant for Gretsch, who manufactured a popular Chet Atkins line of electric guitars from 1955-1980. Atkins also became manager of RCA's Nashville studio, eventually inspiring the creation of the legendary Studio B. This was the first studio built specifically for the purpose of recording on the now famous Music Row.

The Nashville Sound

Atkins took charge of RCA's Nashville division in 1957. With country music record sales suffering as a result of the success of rock and roll, Atkins and Bob Ferguson took their cue from Patsy Cline's producer, Owen Bradley, and eliminated fiddles and steel guitar as a way of making country singers appeal to pop fans. This became known as the Nashville Sound. Atkins used Elvis Presley's vocal backing group, the Jordanaires, and a pop-oriented rhythm section on hits like Jim Reeves' "Four Walls" and "He'll Have to Go;" and Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me" and "Blue Blue Day." As a result, the once rare phenomenon of having a country hit "cross over" to the pop charts became more common.

Atkins also made his own records, which usually visited pop standards and jazz, in a sophisticated home studio, often recording the rhythm tracks at RCA but adding his solo parts at home. Guitarists of all styles came to admire various Atkins albums for their unique musical ideas and in some cases experimental electronic ideas. In this period he became known internationally as "Mister Guitar," also the name of one of Atkins's albums. Atkins performed by invitation at the White House for presidents Kennedy through George H. W. Bush.

Atkins's own biggest hit single came in 1965, with "Yakety Axe," an adaptation of his friend saxophonist Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax."

Willie Nelson rebelled against the Nashville Sound and helped create the Outlaw country movement in Austin, Texas.

Now vice president of RCA's country division, Atkins brought Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Connie Smith, Bobby Bare, Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed, and John Hartford to the label in the 1960s. He took a considerable risk during the mid-1960s by signing country music's first African-American singer Charley Pride. Ironically, some of Pride's biggest fans were among the most conservative country fans, many of whom did not care for the pop stylings Atkins had added.

Meanwhile, Atkins' slick Nashville Sound and his corporate management style—insisting that performers adhere to his vision of what would work commercially whether they liked it or not—did not sit well with talents like Nelson and Jennings. In the late 1960s, they would relocate to Austin, Texas and form their brand of "Outlaw country," proving that there was still a major market for "authentic" country music devoid of compromise with the pop market.

In 1969, Atkins had his last major hit single, "Country Gentleman."

Later career

In the 1970s, Atkins became increasingly stressed by his executive duties. He produced fewer records but could still turn out hits such as Perry Como's pop hit "And I Love You So." He recorded extensively with close friend and fellow picker Jerry Reed. A 1973 bout of colon cancer, however, led Atkins to redefine his role at RCA, to allow others to handle administration while he went back to his first love, the guitar, often recording with Reed or even Homer & Jethro's Jethro Burns (Atkins's brother-in-law) after Homer died in 1971. However, he continued to want to express himself outside of the country genre. In 1972, he recorded an album with the Boston Pops orchestra and continued to experiment with other forms of guitar music.

By the end of the 1970s, Atkins's time had passed as a producer, and RCA sensed that its country division needed to move closer to its country roots. He first retired from his position as an RCA executive, and then began to feel stifled as an artist because RCA objected to his branching out into jazz. At the same time he grew dissatisfied and began designing guitars with Gibson. He left RCA in 1982 and signed with Columbia Records, for whom he produced a debut album in 1983.

While he was with Columbia, he showed his creativity and taste in jazz guitar, and in various other contexts. He was a masterful improviser but could also read music well, and even performed some classical guitar pieces with taste and distinction. Asked to name the ten most influential guitarists of the twentieth century, he named Django Reinhardt to the first position on the list, and placed himself at fifth position.

In later years, he sometimes went back to performing on radio, appearing on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion, and even picking up a fiddle from time to time. While he did more performing in the 1990s, his health grew frail from worsening colon cancer. He died on June 30, 2001 at his home in Nashville.

Legacy

Atkins received numerous awards, including eleven Grammy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993), and nine Country Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year awards. Billboard Magazine awarded him their Century Award, their "highest honor for distinguished creative achievement," in December 1997.

A virtuoso instrumentalist, Atkins expanded the universe for guitarists—and lovers of guitar music—in a way no one did before. For better or worse, he was the driving force behind the creation of the Nashville Sound, which helped revive the fortunes of country music even as it removed some of the authentic southern folk qualities which many fans and artists craved.

Of his own legacy he once said, "Years from now, after I'm gone, someone will listen to what I've done and know I was here. They may not know or care who I was, but they'll hear my guitars speaking for me."


In 2002, Atkins was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Fame. The following year, Atkins ranked #28 in CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music. A stretch of Interstate 185 in southwest Georgia (between LaGrange and Columbus) is named "Chet Atkins Parkway."

Discography

  • 1952 - Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar
  • 1953 - Stringin' Along
  • 1953 - String Dustin'*1954 - A Session with Chet Atkins
  • 1955 - Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins
  • 1955 - Chet Atkins in Three Dimensions
  • 1955 - The Amazing Chet Atkins
  • 1956 - Finger Style Guitar
  • 1957 - Hi Fi in Focus
  • 1958 - Chet Atkins at Home
  • 1959 - Mister Guitar
  • 1959 - Hum & Strum Along with Chet Atkins
  • 1959 - Chet Atkins in Hollywood
  • 1960 - The Other Chet Atkins
  • 1960 - After the Riot at Newport
  • 1961 - Teensville
  • 1961 - Chet Atkins' Workshop
  • 1961 - The Most Popular Guitar
  • 1961 - Chet Atkins Plays Great Movie Themes
  • 1961 - Christmas with Chet Atkins
  • 1962 - Down Home
  • 1962 - Plays Back Home Hymns
  • 1962 - Caribbean Guitar
  • 1963 - Our Man in Nashville
  • 1963 - Teen Scene
  • 1963 - Travelin'
  • 1963 - The Guitar Genius
  • 1964 - Guitar Country
  • 1964 - Progressive Pickin'
  • 1964 - Reminiscing
  • 1964 - The Best of Chet Atkins
  • 1964 - The Early Years of Chet Atkins & His Guitar
  • 1965 - My Favorite Guitars
  • 1965 - More of That Guitar Country
  • 1966 - Chet Atkins Picks on the Beatles
  • 1966 - From Nashville with Love
  • 1966 - The Pops Goes Country
  • 1966 - The Best of Chet Atkins Vol. 2
  • 1966 - Music from Nashville, My Hometown
  • 1967 - It's A Guitar World
  • 1967 - Chet Atkins Picks the Best
  • 1967 - Class Guitar
  • 1967 - Chet
  • 1968 - Solo Flights
  • 1968 - Solid Gold 68
  • 1968 - Play Guitar with Chet Atkins
  • 1968 - Chet All The Way
  • 1968 - Hometown Guitar
  • 1969 - Relaxin' with Chet
  • 1969 - Lovers Guitar
  • 1969 - Solid Gold 69
  • 1969 - The Nashville String Band
  • 1969 - Chet Atkins Picks on the Pops
  • 1970 - C.B. Atkins & C.E. Snow by Special Request
  • 1970 - Yestergroovin'
  • 1970 - Solid Gold 70
  • 1970 - Me & Jerry (w/Jerry Reed)
  • 1970 - Down Home (with the Nashville String Band)
  • 1970 - Pickin' My Way
  • 1970 - This Is Chet Atkins
  • 1971 - Mr. Atkins, Guitar Picker
  • 1971 - Chet Atkins Guitar Method Volume 1 & 2
  • 1971 - For the Good Times
  • 1971 - Strung Up (with the Nashville String Band)
  • 1971 - Country Pickin'
  • 1971 - Identified! (Nashville String Band)
  • 1971 - Chet Floyd & Boots
  • 1972 - Me & Chet
  • 1972 - World's Greatest Melodies
  • 1972 - Now & Then
  • 1972 - American Salute (Boston Pops w/Chet Atkins)
  • 1972 - The Bandit
  • 1972 - Nashville Gold
  • 1972 - Picks on the Hits
  • 1972 - Finger Pickin' Good
  • 1973 - Greatest Hits of the 50's w/Arthur Fiedler
  • 1973 - Discover Japan
  • 1973 - Superpickers
  • 1973 - Alone
  • 1974 - Chet Atkins Picks on Jerry Reed
  • 1974 - The Atkins - Travis Traveling Show
  • 1975 - The Night Atlanta Burned
  • 1975 - Famous Country Music Makers
  • 1975 - In Concert
  • 1975 - The Golden Guitar of Chet Atkins
  • 1975 - Chet Atkins Goes to the Movies
  • 1975 - Teen Scene (reissue)
  • 1976 - Chester & Lester
  • 1976 - The Best of Chet Atkins and Friends
  • 1977 - Love Letters
  • 1977 - Me and My Guitar
  • 1977 - Chet Floyd & Danny
  • 1977 - A Legendary Performer
  • 1978 - Guitar Monsters
  • 1979 - And Then Came Chet
  • 1979 - First Nashville Guitar Quartet
  • 1980 - The Best of Chet on the Road - Live
  • 1980 - Reflections
  • 1981 - Country After All These Years
  • 1981 - Standard Brands
  • 1981 - Country Music
  • 1982 - Solid Gold Guitar
  • 1983 - Guitar Pickin' Man
  • 1983 - Great Hits of the Past
  • 1983 - Work It out with Chet Atkins C.G.P.
  • 1983 - East Tennessee Christmas
  • 1984 - Tennessee Guitar Man
  • 1984 - A Man & His Guitar
  • 1985 - Collectors Series
  • 1985 - Guitar for all Seasons
  • 1985 - Stay Tuned
  • 1986 - 20 of the Best
  • 1986 - Street Dreams
  • 1987 - Sails
  • 1988 - Chet Atkins, C.G.P.
  • 1988 - Pickin' on Country
  • 1989 - Masters of the Guitar: Together
  • 1989 - Pickin' the Hits
  • 1990 - Neck & Neck (with Mark Knopfler)
  • 1990 - The Magic of Chet Atkins
  • 1990 - Country Gems
  • 1991 - The Romantic Guitar
  • 1992 - Sneakin' Around
  • 1992 - The RCA Years
  • 1993 - The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat
  • 1993 - Gallopin' Guitar
  • 1993 - Jazz From The Hills
  • 1994 - Simpatico (with Suzy Bogguss)
  • 1994 - Read My Licks
  • 1996 - The Essential Chet Atkins
  • 1996 - Almost Alone
  • 1997 - The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World
  • 1998 - Super Hits
  • 1998 - Masters
  • 2000 - Guitar Legend: The RCA Years
  • 2000 - Guitar Man
  • 2001 - RCA Country Legends
  • 2001 - The Master and His Music
  • 2002 - Chet Atkins Picks on the Grammys
  • 2002 - Tribute to Bluegrass
  • 2003 - The Best of Chet Atkins
  • 2003 - Solo Sessions

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Cochran, Russ. Chet Atkins: Me and My Guitars. Hal Leonard; 1st edition, 2003. ISBN 9780634055652
  • Jensen, Joli. The Nashville Sound: Authenticity, Commercialization, and Country Music. Vanderbilt University Press, 1998. ISBN 9780826513144
  • Russell, Rusty. Chet Atkins. Backbeat, 2002. ISBN 9780879307196

External links

All links retrieved December 8, 2023.

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.

Retrieved from https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Chet_Atkins&oldid=1130268

Content is available under Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details.
Copyright Logo
Powered by MediaWiki